For a change, I am in the office on election day. Rather than heading out to a campaign headquarters, I’m staying in and making calls. I’ll be chatting with local NDP candidate Mario Leclerc, plus checking in with the folks in Glengarry, Prescott and Russell. My colleagues are out with Conservative incumbent Guy Lauzon – who is expected to win with little contest – Liberal Bernadette Clement and the Green’s Wyatt Walsh.

I love being out with the candidates, but I’m not complaining about reporting from the comfort of my office tonight. Results from Atlantic Canada are coming in, as well as some from Quebec and Ontario with 15 minutes since polls closed. Exciting stuff! I’m glad the waiting game didn’t last long; it helps that TV networks can dictate their broadcasts to avoid breaking election laws that don’t allow results to be shown where polls have not yet closed. Plenty of people have not followed the rules by posting results on Twitter, though I’m thankful to see most journalists are more concerned with the process than being first on this one.

The biggest story of the evening will definitely be how well the NDP does. So far it looks like they are picking up seats, but the night is still young.

I’ll be tweeting throughout the evening over at @ReporterCheryl, but I’ll also update this blog when I have moments in between, you know, actual work.

UPDATE (10:51 p.m.) – Wow. I’m actually surprised by how surprised I am. Conservatives win a majority, the Liberals have their worst showing in history, the Bloc Quebecois might have less than 10 seats, and Green Party leader Elizabeth May is currently leading in her riding. I’ve heard a rumour that Michael Ignatieff is currently losing in his own riding.

Locally, NDP candidate Mario Leclerc is in second place, which I am, frankly, shocked about. Bernadette Clement won her seat on city council by a long shot, but doesn’t even have 18% of the vote right now. Conservative Guy Lauzon won again without a contest – he currently has almost 60%, a gain from the 2008 election.

I never again want to hear that politics in Canada is boring.

UPDATE (12:10 a.m.) – Green Party leader Elizabeth May has won her seat – she’s giving her victory speech at the moment. Conservative cabinet ministers Gary Lunn and Lawrence Cannon lost theirs. Both Michael Ignatieff and Gilles Duceppe lost their seats as well, with Duceppe immediately stepping down as Bloc leader.

Locally, Clement and Leclerc are now in an extremely tight race for second place. They’re far behind Lauzon, but only 14 votes apart at the moment. I’m disappointed that none of the candidates in Glengarry, Prescott and Russell made themselves available to comment on my story on their results.

The Conservatives have won a solid majority with 165 seats. The NDP are the Official Opposition with 105, the Liberals only saved 34, and the Bloc have been decimated with only three seats.

I called my dad an hour and a half ago. I miss watching results roll in with him, staying up until all hours and asking him tons of questions about the electoral process. He was pumped to see a majority government and surprised by the NDP’s showing.

Whew. What a night. I’m glad I had a nap earlier – the adrenaline is still pumping.